The Kerman-based dairy that has been linked to bacterial illnesses and recalls, on Monday agreed to plead guilty to shipping misbranded food — in this case, raw milk labeled for pet use that instead was consumed by people — across state lines. According to the Fresno Bee – In a plea agreement filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Fresno, Organic Pastures agreed to, among other things:

1) Organic Pastures Dairy in Kerman is one of only two raw-milk producers in California, 2) Stop shipping unpasteurized raw milk across state lines, 3) Put a notice on its Web site within two weeks that it no longer will sell raw-milk products outside of California, 4) Notify, in writing, any out-of-state customers from the past year that the dairy no longer will offer raw milk or raw-milk products, and 5) Allow the federal Food and Drug Administration to, without prior notice, make inspections of the dairy.

Perhaps more disturbing are these comments by Mr. McAfee on the Complete Patient:

Let me be very clear….

I am not a pacifist and there is a tipping point at which activism and defense of the rights of my home, my food, my freedom and my family takes precidence over peaceful politically appropriate action with cameras and playing along while you get raped. . . .

Another Wounded Knee, Ruby Ridge or Waco could easily happen in America because of police abuse, massive unemployment, corruption, Wallstreet rip offs, denial of the right to food etc. . . .

I also believe that each and every mentally and emotionally stable free American should know how to shoot and shoot well and that those Americans that choose to do so should own a gun and appreciate its place in history and freedom. On of my fondest memories was visiting Switzerland in 1983 and seeing a youth with a machine gun on his back going to the shooting range on a moped. I thought to myself….no body will ever mess with his rights. Homes in Switzerland have huge machine SIG guns and everyone knows how to use them. There is little violence in that land and the crime rate is nill. Cops thoughtfully enter homes after asking politely and do not brandish weapons like Miami Vice. . . .

I shoot and own guns….but you will never see them displayed or used against cops or any person. Until the tipping point. At that point my life is then the value which must be laid down in the balance and it is worth giving in trade. . . . Remember, those that live by the sward can also die by it. If you raise a gun in anger expect to pay a dear price at some point.

Wow. Sounds like this guys needs to have his medications balanced. Not a very good role model for the aspiring food industry entrepreneur.

Reader

Perhaps his comments on the “raw milk” blog were just written during a moment of frustration, and do not represent any real threat. But, they are alarming thinking back to the historical events with a sausage producer in California that ended tragically in the deaths of 3 USDA/state inspectors. Hopefully, this situation finds a peaceful solution (and, per your “naughty and nice” list, hopefully the safety standards for raw milk production remain as strong as possible where this potentially dangerous product is sold commercially).
For more on the 2000 incident:
Girlfriend says ‘Sausage King’ wanted to grind up inspectorshttp://tinyurl.com/99qj2v

Anger begets anger and criminal behavior begets criminal behavior. We’ll see where the tipping point comes first: McAfee’s anger toward regulators or his consumers’ anger over promises of product safety and deliberate misbranding at the same time.
What’s to come first: McAfee shooting the sheriff or McAfee killing a customer and losing the family jewels? Maybe he’ll get lucky and get locked up.

mark mcafee

Dear Marler Blog family,
My comments were taken out of context.
My comments were a reaction to a debate on freedom and what happened to a law abiding family at Manna House in Ohio.
At Manna House, A SWAT team entered the home and kept the unarmed family with eight kids at gun point for 8 hours. Allowing no calls to a lawyer or anyone.
Didn’t Hitler do this??
The violation…operating a private food coop. They were not even selling raw milk.
The son of the Stowers who own Manna House is serving in Iraq. This really put it all into context for me.
So lets get this straight. It is ok for the the cops to literally emotionally rape our families in the name of stupid food laws that have been found to not even apply.
The farm to conmsumer legal defense fund has sued the Sherrif and his posse of Machine Gun bearing brutals and we will see what the jury says about this breach of every thing we as a country believe in…
The cops even took all the families cell phones and computers even though not part of the Manna House business or listed on the warrant. The cops took all the families food as evidence. Now they have no food and no phones and no computers.
I hope the cops loose their jobs and are criminally indicted. This is not the America I love and will protect. Now do yuou get the dialogue about freedom.
Finally….An “FDA Citizens Petition” has been filed to start the process of overturning CFR 1240.61 ( which bans the interstate shipment of raw milk ). If Raw Milk is safe in 410 stores in CA then a truck ride to Nevada would not change its safety. Free people can make their own choices…
I embrace freedom and non violence. Any comment to the contrary is a lie.I work in the system to change the system.
Merry Christmas…
Bill…go get the Chinese and melamine.
Mark McAfee
Founder OPDC

Reader

Interesting comment about this topic and legal considerations from a “Regulator” under the newest entry on the Complete Patient:
“This isn’t the first such reference. The person who goes by Gordon Watson and Gordon Fitzwalter on the Yahoo Group Raw Dairy Site on the Yahoo Group Raw Dairy Site posted on 9/12/08:
“I’d love to hear from the elders at Mark Nolte’s church how that political activity ought to be carried out …….When do outraged Americans get down to brass tacks .. to the most American of all reactions ? Precious metals : blue steel, brass casings and lead? Of course, that would never be the answer for pacifists. Even though the right to remove tyrants is bloody-well enshrined in the fabric of the nation. bullets or ballots, people. Take your pick”
…As one of the regulators so regularly demonized on this blog, the heart of the raw milk debate from this side was succinctly articulated by the following exchange…”http://tinyurl.com/8xrffv

Sid

Mark, Mark, Mark,
It’s so funny that when someone uses your words and comments against you, you say that it was taken out of context. It is very convenient when you go too far, the public forms a negative opinion of you, and then you have to pull back and blame someone else.
It is also very ironic that you want people to look to China for their problems, when you yourself have created a number of recalls and Listeria outbreaks in our own backyard.
We all realized you want it your way. The hell with the public’s safety; it’s all about money, it always is.

Diana

The government has no business telling anyone they can’t drink raw milk and Mark has a right to be upset about that. His reaction is very rational and exhibits the kind of lost courage in this country. What’s really disturbing is how the government is focusing on one small farmer as though he is some sort of criminal for what? shipping raw milk to consumers? This would be laughable if it weren’t downright disturbing. The government is way out of line banning raw milk yet you can buy alcohol, cigarettes, over the counter prescription drugs and chemical laden foods which contribute to countless deaths each and every year. Truly disturbing and another great example of how tyrannical and disjointed our government has become.

Diana

Sid, Sid, Sid,
We all know that Corporate Agribusinesses want to monopolize the Dairy and Meat Industries and put the small farmer out of business claiming their own products are superior yet not a year goes by that some pasteurized milk and commercial meat product isn’t recalled. Raw milk, like any animal product, is subject to contaminants by it’s very nature of being an animal product. People can only do so much to keep it clean, and certainly no one can offer a guarantee that any raw animal product or non-raw animal product for that matter will never harm anyone. Raw milk has frequently been the target of the FDA due to it’s competition with commercial corporate farmers and the high value that dedicated consumers place on it as well as the high dollar it commands which in reality reflects the legal and government imposed costs of producing a natural product. You sound like a hysterical consumer who doesn’t understand food production at all.